3 days away with the wife....

[matata]

im' toying with the idea of taking the wife, my lad (whose very capable aged 26 ) and his wife on our rib 5.5m yam 4 stroke up to largs for three days. We have some plans of where to go from there and where to stay. Somewhere along the planning we need to do some planning re routes. On the basis wife and I aged 55, son and his wife 26. medium weather what sort of reasonable mileage could we happily do a day. Something like 20knots average, start at 10 in the morning, two hours touring.arrive pub grub and one hour in the afternoon. Thats sixty miles a day. Sound reasonable? Ta Nik

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by matata

im' toying with the idea of taking the wife, my lad (whose very capable aged 26 ) and his wife on our rib 5.5m yam 4 stroke up to largs for three days. We have some plans of where to go from there and where to stay. Somewhere along the planning we need to do some planning re routes. On the basis wife and I aged 55, son and his wife 26. medium weather what sort of reasonable mileage could we happily do a day. Something like 20knots average, start at 10 in the morning, two hours touring.arrive pub grub and one hour in the afternoon. Thats sixty miles a day. Sound reasonable? Ta Nik

We're of a certain age, & regularly do 100nm/day when we're "out west" no biggie. Just make sure you have good, foul weather gear (being cold is the killer in more ways than one) & an exit strategy if it turns snotty. Take hot drinks, we take a flask of hot water & pre-pack catering hot drinks, tea, coffee, bovril etc. Make sure you plan your lunch stop & make provision for mooring, getting ashore before you leave. The promise of a good lunch/coffee/cake stop is good for crew morale.
Above all, enjoy😄

[Xk59D]

I would suggest largs-portavadie for a meal etc, nice place and quite an easy sail, may see some basking sharks on the way off north arran. you can explore the loch once in there and goto tarbet etc.

largs-lamlash is also good if the weather is okay as it can be quite open to get there. again a meal at the top of the pier is possible with a nice little cafe/restaurant. you stand a decent chance of seeing basking sharks towards lamlash so worth a visit.

if you want to go further afield then i would recommend a circumnavigation of the kyles of bute and stopping off at tighnabruaich or rothesay perhaps worth a shot. this is pretty sheltered run so if weather isn't perfect then head up there.

if you want to go even further than largs-cambeltown is doable but if weather isn't perfect it would be quite a trip in a 5.5m boat.

none of the above requires a dinghy as there is a pier to tie up to.

hope that helps!

[Poly]

just to note - largs to cambletown is all about the journey not the destination if the "crew" are more likely to appreciate the destination I'd think about Otter Ferry or Tighnabruigh (and the Kyles) than Cambeltown.

[Xk59D]

all of the places have pros/cons for sure depending on what you want.

i would also suggest you take in loch lomond for one of the days you are here if you have never been before.

if you want to see wildlife then sharks towards bottom of Arran is best bet, seals there is a colony at Dunoon and Milport. Dolphins you are probably best off Arran and have a bit of luck.

wet the appetite-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyWder9yA3Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2wsYCKA5Jg

[Last Tango]

Every ones got their favourites and you've got to include Tarbert and Caladh .
An easy day trip. Largs (or Kip) Rothesay, through the Kyles, Caladh, Tighnabruaich (don't know about getting ashore there), Tarbert, Portavadie and back round the south of Bute on the way back. Less than 60Kn miles all in.

FYI. Logistically not much difference between Largs and Kip. Largs has a better slip....into the marina, Kip's overnight charges aren't as brutal as Largs. (three days/two nights ain't going to make much difference)

PS round trip to Campbeltown is 80Kn mls from Largs and can get a bit bumpy especially around south east tip of Arran.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Poly

just to note - largs to cambletown is all about the journey not the destination.

Someone once intimated to me that it wasn't the most salubrious overnight destination...

[ShinyShoe]

Think I'd rather be in Cambletown than Largs !

[Perroboy]

Here is another one of mostly Kyles of Bute and Loch Fyne with some of the local wildlife. Filmed in December.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_H8IuXD954

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by willk

Someone once intimated to me that it wasn't the most salubrious overnight destination...

There about a month ago, didn't stay overnight but the sun was shining and, to be fair, the place wasn't as grim as I'd remembered it.

[Pikey Dave]

Never been to Cambletown, but I'd always assumed it was a quaint west coast fishing port, I take it I'm a tad off the mark😏

[Last Tango]

"quaint"......no.
But there's a lot worse around the country and really IMO it's more of a working coastal town than a village and probably just suffers because there are so many quaint, pretty villages around the area.

[M.Thornton]

Nothing wrong with Cambletown but it's a fair old slog from Largs with four in a 5.5m rib .suggest you stick to the top end of Arran & round Bute fantastic cruising

[Xk59D]

Lochranza also worth a look, easy to get ashore.

You have a lot of options depending on weather, just factor in circumnavigation of the Kyle's of bute at some stage.

Depending on when it is a few of us may tag along too if you want company.

[paintman]

First things first.
Start by running your idea past the ladies concerned. Unless they're also boaties who appreciate the possible perils & unpleasantries you might find they're seriously underwhelmed by the idea.

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by paintman

First things first.
Start by running your idea past the ladies concerned. Unless they're also boaties who appreciate the possible perils & unpleasantries you might find they're seriously underwhelmed by the idea.

What?.... Do you mean with a view to replacing them if they're not suitably impressed.

[paintman]

Now there's a thought....

[matata]

OK....six months later, we did it!!! What an insane time it was . Started in Largs to Tarbert. Over night air b and b. Then down to Crinan. Then down Loch Fyne to a brewery at the bottom by Invarary. Over night there and up to Portavadie . Refuelled there , then down to Loch Ranza. Pint there. Then up the Kyles of Bute in the evening and Around to Rothesay. Again air Band B. Over night there. Then up Loch Striven (?) and back to Largs. 160 miles. 3 days. Brilliant. None of the script above does any of it justice. The weather was mixed but got better over the few days. Largs is great for launching. Tarbert is a simple marina with a few good restaurants. Inveraray has a very good crown hotel but no where to tie up rib. Jetty is very closed. Had to use my deep waders with the wife on my back to get ashore. Portavadie is a very impressive marina. We finished with the Kyles, at 9 at night. Water like glass...just great.
Observations..charplotter is indispensable.Charts are great for route planning in the pub. Using my dividers I measured the route before hand . It was 5% inaccurate. Yam 115 four with Delta 5.5. MPG 1 litre per kmile in the rough, 1.2 litres per kmile on average. Nice cruising speed 22knts. 4300 rpm. 17' prop is very handy as we were 4 up , 100litres of fuel and dry bags for four.
We have four individual tanks running into a manifold with individual taps. We set the Garman trip meter and changed tanks every 20 miles approx. worked great.
Thanks for the great advice all of you. If you want to know more just ask. Nik

[ISLANDRIBBER]

If you liked the Firth of Clyde next year bring it up to Oban!!

[jambo]

Glad you enjoyed your taste of the West